Delta's Photon Shower Cleans Off the Effects of Jet Lag With Light

As someone who was battling and losing to the effects of cross-country travel recently, the idea of jumping into the shower and cleaning off the bothersome lethargy of jetlag sounds like a dream come true...

Delta Airline's Photon Shower unveiled at TED 2013 (via Twitter) isn't your typical soap and water affair. Instead of just washing off dirt, users will bathe in a light spray of water and also soak in simulated sunlight via powerful blue LED lights. As anyone who suffers from seasonal affective disorder likely knows, intense and continual exposure to sunlight, both real and simulated, can drastically influence how the body feels throughout the day, apparently including the effects of time zone hopping.

"Our brains contain a master clock that coordinates the circadian rhythms of our body's many systems," according to Delta. "The symptoms of jet lag occur because the body gets off schedule, not only because of the day/night pattern of its new location, but with itself. This is where light comes into play."

But before you get too excited about the premise of landing and showering at the airport to combat jet lag, note Delta was showcasing the Photon Shower as a concept-only display for 2013 TED conference in Long Beach, California this week. Perhaps a manufacturer out there will offer an add-on waterproof light therapy lamp for the shower, or you just might need to travel with a portable desktop model for times when you know your internal clock will be off-kilter.